Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 28 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 4

Written Answers. - Consultancy Contracts.

Phil Hogan

Ceist:

123 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance the amount of funding for consultancy and related study contracts which has been approved as part of the 2002 departmental Estimates and the budgets of each organisation and agency falling within the Department's aegis for this type of work; the degree of cutback compared to 2001; the consultancy projects which have been cancelled or postponed as a consequence of the cutbacks; the capital projects which will be postponed as a consequence of the cutback in consultancy budgets; the consultancy projects under consideration with his Department and its agencies which will be funded in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10929/02]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The following table sets out the Estimate provision for 2002 for the main consultancy subheads and the provisional outturn for 2001 in respect of each of the Votes within my area of responsibility, as included in the Revised Estimates for 2002. The table also sets out the percentage change in the 2002 estimate provision compared to the 2001 provisional out-turn, which shows both increases and decreases. A change in the level of provision in 2002 as compared with the provisional out-turn for 2001 could arise for a number of reasons, including a change in the level of business requirement from one year to the next and a change in the level of funding available. It is not appropriate, therefore, to refer to the cancellation or postponement of specific projects as a result of a change in provision.

Department-Office	Subhead	2001 ProvisionalOutturn€000	2002 Estimate€000	Change%
Vote 6 Finance	A7B	9702,378	2,3021,012	137%57%
Vote 4 Ordnance Survey*	A7	209	–	–
Vote 9 Revenue Commissioners	A7A12	7,5414,900	6,2145,000	18%2%
Vote 10 Office of Public Works	A7	320	381	19%
Vote 11 State Laboratory	A7	32	97	203%
Vote 15 Valuation Office	A7	27	13	52%
Vote 16 Civil Service Commission	A7	800	783	2%
Vote 17 Office of the Ombudsman **	A7B7C7	60 86159	50 63111	17%27%30%

*The 2002 provision for the Ordnance Survey relates to the period up to its date of establishment as a non-commercial semi-State body.

**The consultancy provisions relate mainly to legal fees.